


Kisses are Normal

by MarsHunter06



Category: Total Drama (Cartoon), Total DramaRama (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, I really like smol duncney ok, also I had this written before I ever wrote any kissing scenes for them, so I needed a whole fic dedicated to kisses for them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-09-25 17:07:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17125352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarsHunter06/pseuds/MarsHunter06
Summary: Set in the TDR verse where Courtney and Duncan are friends. They grow up thinking that kisses are normal. Best friends totally kiss ouchies and each other right?





	1. Ouchies Need Kisses

It starts when they were four at a daycare. Back when they were still innocent; they had no idea what they would be getting into. 

Duncan was bored and decided to go and see what Courtney was doing. All the other kids ran outside to play. He finds her sitting on the armchair with a book— of course she was reading instead of having fun. She doesn’t even notice when he sits next to her, peeking over to see the words on the page. 

“This is so boring! Why would you just sit inside when you could be playing outside?”

Courtney was caught off guard by the interruption, but it was just Duncan so she had nothing to worry about.

“It’s a good book, and I like reading.”

“What’s it even about anyways?”

“It’s called the Princess Academy. It’s about young girls who go to school to learn to be princesses.”

“You need to go to school for that too? Does that mean you want to be a princess?”

“Of course not. I want to be president of the world, remember?”

“Well, if you just want to rule and have power, being a princess is the same thing.”

She hadn’t really thought about that. He was right, technically, but she didn’t want him to know that.

“It is not— besides, it would be better to be a queen.”

“Then you would need a king. Besides, you’re still small, so you would be a princess.”

He had a point. Being a princess wasn’t a bad thing. All of those little girls in the book wanted to be one. It is an important job.

As she was thinking about whether or not it was a suitable career, Duncan decides that it’s still more fun to be outside; this means that he needs to get Courtney to go outside too. He takes the book out of her hands and flips through it quickly, thinking if he could just tell her what happens then she could go play. Unfortunately for him, he ends up getting a paper cut and it stings. There was even a little blood coming out. Being that they’re four, he gets fussy. He quickly drops the book and assesses the damage. Yep— he was going to need a bandaid for this one. Courtney looks at the tiny cut and springs into action. The first aid kit was close by. 

She returns with the kit and takes Duncan’s hand. She cleans it with a wipe first, and he snatches his hand away because it stung him. 

“Duncan, I’m not done yet. Give me back your hand.”

He frowns, but does as he’s told. His mommy would tell him the same thing. Using a cotton swab, Courtney lightly dabs the antibiotic cream on the cut then uses a bandaid to cover it. She chooses the one with Venom on it. It seemed the most suitable for him. She admires her work then starts to clean up, but Duncan was not satisfied.

“You have to kiss it better.”

“What?”

“After mommy patches me up, she always kisses it better.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

He wasn’t going to back down from this though. This was the proper way to attend to a boo boo, afterall. He still had his hand out towards her. She decides that it couldn’t hurt, so she kisses the freshly patched up finger. He smiles at her.

“Thanks, Princess, I feel all better now.”

She smiles when she hears that. She looks over at her book and decides that she can finish it later. It was time to play outside. She grabs Duncan’s uninjured hand and, together, they find the others to play with


	2. The Mom and the Dad have to Kiss, Duh!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a game of house leads to their first kiss, but they're children so it's not a big deal.

After the boo boo incident, Duncan and Courtney’s relationship became stronger. Though, they have always been friends despite their differences; even with Duncan constantly trying to stir up trouble and Courtney stepping in to stop him. They are children after all; it’s all in good fun.

 

They know they can count on each other, which is why they frequently end up playing together— with the other kids, of course. Today, everyone wanted to pretend to be adults— a game that Courtney is very good at— so naturally, she made herself in charge. However, the others decided that not all of them should be adults. Some of them should be children who need to have a good example set by their parents. Izzy came up with the idea of course, so Courtney was stuck being her mom, even though she was going to be a teacher. She supposed being a parent was similar enough to being a teacher, so she let it slide. That is, until Izzy started whining that her family was incomplete.

 

“Courtney! We need a dad!”

 

“We don’t have to have a dad, Izzy. There are many successful single parents in the world.”

 

“Yes, but I have a mom and a dad. So do you! Which means we need a dad!”

 

This was true. Even though Courtney knows that there are children with only one parent, the majority of the kids here had two. To make it realistic, they should have a dad. Who would they choose, though?

 

“How about Harold? Or maybe Noah?”

 

“No, Harold wants to be a ninja and that is not a life that I would want to raise you in. Noah isn’t playing with us. He’s been taken on an adventure by Owen. They’re looking for his chili dog.”

 

“Hm… what about Duncan then?”

 

Courtney scrunches her nose, “I don’t think he would want to play.”

 

“Well, let’s ask him! Or else Jude and I will be fatherless!”

 

“Alright, we can ask.”

 

Izzy has already made up her mind, she was just going to force Duncan to go along with it. Courtney and Jude stayed in the house while she set some ground rules for the young boy to follow.

 

“Duncan! Come on, it’s play time!”

 

“What are we playing?”

 

“House! You have to be the dad!”

 

“Why am I the dad? I don’t want to be the dad. That’s not fun at all!”

 

It was too late. She was already dragging him over to the house.

 

“Mom! We’re home!”

 

“You got Princess to play along too?”

 

“Welcome home you two. Now, I’ve just finished explaining the rules to Jude, so I have to fill you two in.”

 

“ _Rules_ _smules_! I told you this would suck. There’s no rules in the adult world.”

 

“Actually, Duncan, adults still have to follow rules. They’re called laws.”

 

“You two are already doing so well being the mom and dad! My parents argue too! Well, until they see me, then they both tell me to stop fooling around! Parents huh?”

 

Duncan and Courtney both exchange looks after Izzy’s statement. Somehow, neither of them are surprised.

 

“Dude, you two are totally like my mom and dad. They talk to each other with their eyes too.”

 

“It’s settled! Now Duncan should go to work and Courtney can stay here with us!”

 

“Why would Princess stay too? If we’re going to be like our parents then we both need to go to work. That’s why we’re all in daycare.”

 

“You’re right, dude. That is why we’re here.”

 

“Okay then, we can all leave the house!”

 

It was settled. The four of them would get to leave and do whatever their role should be. Courtney was about to step out of the house when Jude stops them.

 

“Wait, Courtney, if you and Duncan are our mom and dad then you need to kiss goodbye. My parents always kiss each other before leaving the house.”

 

“Mine too! Jude’s right! The mom and the dad have to kiss!”

  
The two of them were looking at Courtney and Duncan in anticipation. The two thought about it; their parents would also kiss each other goodbye. Courtney has already kissed his finger, there shouldn’t be _that_ much of a difference. The two of them lean over and quickly peck each other. Then they both leave the house like their parents. Strange, they don’t really see the appeal in kissing goodbye, but then again, adults are weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up that there is going to be a slight time jump for the next chapter.


	3. Kisses Aren't Just Chocolates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello elementary school, the TD kiddos haven't changed at all.

They both end up at the same elementary school. It makes sense since they live near each other. The other kids from the daycare are also there. They all remained close even if some of them were in separate classrooms. The kids all made sure to sit together at lunch, then play at recess. It was like they were all a part of a secret club that the rest of the kids at school didn’t know about. 

Courtney and Duncan were in the same class. The teacher was surprised to see the two of them get along so well despite how opposite the two seemed. Sure, sometimes Duncan would try and pick on her, but Courtney was tough and wouldn’t let him get to her—although, this was only during class time. During recess, the two of them would be best friends. It was an interesting sight to see. The two frequently played together along with the other kids from the daycare. 

Today was no different. It was just after lunch and recess was in full session. Owen had snuck off behind the slide so Duncan decided to investigate. Courtney tagged along since she had already finished her book for the day. The two of them find Owen hiding because he wanted to eat his chocolates in peace; however, as soon as he saw the two, he decided to be nice and share with them. Courtney declined the individually wrapped silver bells, but Owen already shoved some in her mouth before she could finish talking. Her mouth became a chocolatey mess, making Duncan laugh once he sees the state she’s in. Courtnet hated when things were messy. Owen got the hint that he probably shouldn’t have done that so he hurriedly left while shouting ‘sorry’ to Courtney.

“Hey! I didn’t get any chocolate yet, Owen! Come back, you big goof!”

“I can’t believe I have chocolate all over me!”

He turns his attention to the princess in distress and gets an idea. He takes a finger and wipes some of the chocolate off her face and licks it. It was still good. He does it again, but Courtney pushes him away.

“Ew! Don’t put your dirty hands on me!”

“But I want the chocolate.”

“Well, I don’t want you touching me. Did you even wash your hands after lunch?”

“Fine, I’ll just do this.”

He leans over and kisses the corner of her mouth making the chocolate disappear.

Courtney frowns, “why did you do that?”

Duncan shrugs before doing it again, “What? They’re called kisses for a reason.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, how else was he supposed to help her get rid of the chocolate? Ok, but I have to give my partner in crime credit for this one (@lotsofloveish on tumblr). She's obsessed with Hershey's kisses. You should see her on Valentine's Day, srsly go ask her about it. Also just fyi as much as I adore smol duncney, we're moving on to high school duncney next.


	4. Kisses on Cheeks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> High school hasn't freed Duncan from his princess kissing addiction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> High school duncney!

They’ve come a long way from their daycare days. Their friendship hasn’t changed much, though it’s not as solid now that they’re in high school. Although they remained friends, they started drifting. Courtney is busy overachieving with school while Duncan prefers to be a delinquent. It was weird to see the two of them together. Everyone would always whisper about them in the hallway: two polar opposites who always argued, yet they frequently give each other kisses? A strange sight indeed. What’s even stranger is that they’re not even in a relationship. Courtney’s only ever had one boyfriend— they didn’t work out. She’s far too busy for such things. Duncan on the other hand, has had his share of flings, though they never last long. He claims that they get too “needy” and “boring”.

His friends knew the real reason. 

Over the years, Duncan’s come to realize that his feelings for Courtney are no longer platonic. Instead of talking to her about it, he decides to act out and ignore her. She shrugs it off as him being Duncan, but she doesn’t sever ties with him. They’re friends and she cares for him; plus, he would never leave her alone. He still calls her “Princess” and asks for kisses, just like when they were younger.

“Duncan, bro, what’s up? You look kinda down.”

Geoff wasn’t the only one who noticed. Everyone always knew when Duncan was being moody. He was easy to read, unless you’re Courtney.

Duncan doesn’t answer. He just continues to pout while looking towards one of the classrooms. Gwen answers for him instead.

“He’s just grumpy cause he hasn’t gotten his daily dose of princess kisses.”

“It’s not a daily occurrence.”

Geoff and Gwen both laugh.

“Dude, you two are almost as bad as me and Bridgette.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, Geoff, but you two are pretty bad, Duncan. Though, don’t think I’ve seen it for about a week. Man, no wonder you’re in a mood.”

“Dude, she’s right. What did you do?”

Being reminded of this just makes Duncan more angry. Ever since he got a new girlfriend, well, that’s what she wanted to call herself anyways, Courtney has refused to kiss him. Which makes sense, as she’s not a homewrecker. Besides, he should go kiss his ‘girlfriend’. It wasn’t the same, though. He needed her kisses. She didn’t budge when he told her this, so now here he is, going on a week without his daily dose of Princess kisses.

“Look, Duncan, I don’t know why you don’t just tell Courtney how you feel. She’s not wrong for not wanting to kiss you when you have a girlfriend.”

“She’s not even my girlfriend. She just pretends to be.”

“Then just tell Courtney that, man.”

“I tried, but she wasn’t convinced.”

Just then, Courtney walks out of the classroom to find the three of them in the hallway. She smiles and greets them.

“Hey guys, what’s going on?”

“Oh nothing… Duncan’s just being a grump” Gwen replies.

Courtney looks over at him and sees that he is indeed in a bad mood. She looks to the others, but neither of them tell her why he’s upset. It’s not their place.

“What’s wrong, Duncan?”

“Nothing's wrong.”

“Okay, you’re definitely lying. You didn’t even try calling me ‘Princess’. Are you alright?”

She reaches over to touch him. He wanted to move away, but since he can’t have his kisses, he’ll take what he can get. Wow, since when did he become such a wuss?

“I’m fine, Princess. Don’t worry about it.”

She searches his eyes to see if she could find anything out, but she comes up short. She figures he’ll tell her when he’s ready. She’s not going to push him.

“Alright, I’ll see you after school, then?”

“You’re not staying after?”

“Nope. The student council meeting got pushed to tomorrow, so I’ll be going home on time.”

He smiles, “okay, we can go home together.”

She smiles back at him, once she sees that he’s looking a little more uplifted. Maybe she doesn’t have to worry about him.

“I’m counting on it. Bye guys.”

Out of reflex, she leans over and kisses him on the cheek before leaving. Duncan’s immediately in a better mood. He smiles as he watches her walk away. Gwen and Geoff both shake their heads at the two idiots. Duncan is so gone for Courtney— it’s ridiculous.


	5. Kisses Because You’re Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly who doesn’t love a jealous Courtney? Duncan definitely does (;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the most cliché thing I’ve ever written. It was actually kinda fun.

A few days go by with Courtney and Duncan’s weird relationship going back to normal. After Duncan reassures Courtney for the third time that he was not dating anyone, she allowed their kissing to continue. Duncan was glad that he wouldn’t have to continue being grumpy because of some rumors. 

 

The more the two of them hang out with each other, the more he realizes that he’s completely in love with her. He can’t seem to focus on anything else, but her— and it wasn’t just her looks. Anyone with eyes could see that she was beautiful, both inside and out.

 

She has such a big heart and cares too much people, even if she won’t outright say it. She works hard to make sure the students are having a good high school experience and that her teachers weren’t being overwhelmed. It’s a miracle she has time to do anything else with the load she has on her plate. It’s why she needs Duncan to remind her to take a break. While she’s busy worrying about everyone else, he’s there to make sure she takes care of herself. He was her constant. Courtney doesn’t know what she would do without him. 

 

She doesn’t like when he’s off chasing other girls. She always distances herself from him when he shows up with a new girl. She can’t quite explain why she doesn’t like it, there’s always a terrible feeling that starts in her stomach that travels upwards when she sees him flirting with another girl. She likes to think it’s because none of those girls are good enough for him, and that they’re all just using him to climb up the social ladder. What better way than to date the school’s bad boy? They never last long, though. He’s usually done with them within the week, so she never has to worry that he’ll leave her. They’ve been friends since the beginning so nothing could break them apart. But that doesn’t mean people didn’t try.

 

Duncan’s last girlfriend didn’t take rejection well. They were never even officially together. She was tired of seeing Courtney get all of Duncan’s attention, so she started a rumor that they were dating. She knew that Courtney would immediately try to stay away from him if he had a girlfriend. Little Miss Perfect can’t stand being in the wrong. Her plan worked until Duncan came up to her and yelled at her for what she had done. This only made her more upset and now, seeing the two of them laughing together in the hallway was even worse. 

 

“Oh, Duncan! Did you miss me?”

 

He cringes once he hears her voice. Courtney frowns, she can’t say she was a big fan of his latest fling.

 

“What do you want Karly?”

 

“You’re so silly, you know what I want.”

 

“The answer’s no, now beat it.”

 

“I’m your girlfriend! You can’t just tell me to leave.”

 

“You’re kidding, right? We were never together.”

 

“You’re just saying that because Courtney’s here and you don’t want her to find out about us.”

 

This time it was Courtney who was looking at her funny. That is the most ridiculous thing she’s ever heard! Who keeps secrets right in front of the person they’re supposed to be hiding it from? She grabs Duncan’s hand and starts to pull him away; neither of them wanted to deal with Karly.

 

“Hey! Come back here with him! He’s mine!”

 

Normally, Courtney would be able to keep her cool, but for some odd reason, hearing this girl claim Duncan as hers just didn’t sit well with her. She turns around and pulls him down.

 

“Woah, Princess…”

 

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Courtney’s lips claim his— he’s not angry about it. He kisses her back happily. She has her arm wrapped around his neck and his arms at her waist. There was an intensity in her kisses that he hadn’t experienced before. This was different than their normal light kisses… this was possessive. She was making a point and he was enjoying every moment of it. They finally separate once they run out of air, but not before she gives him another peck. She looks over at his shoulder, satisfied with Karly’s mortified expression. She doesn’t even notice Duncan’s lovestruck expression as she pulls him away from the scene.

 

They were almost at Courtney’s house before Duncan finally brings it up. They were still holding hands as if it was the most normal thing to do after you made out with your best friend because some girl pissed you off.

 

“So… What was that about?”

 

She turns to look at him, “What was  _ what _ about?”

 

“You know what I’m talking about, Princess.”

 

“Not really. We kiss all the time.”

 

“Not like  _ that _ .”

 

“Okay, I won’t do it again.”

 

“No! I mean… I’m okay with it. I kinda liked it…”

 

They were at her front door now and she pulls out her key to unlock the door.

 

“I guess I was just wondering why you did it…?”

 

Courtney thinks about it for a moment before finally answering, “you know, I’m not really sure? I just know that I didn’t like when she said you were hers.”

 

Duncan smiles. She was totally jealous! He puts his arm around her as they walk into the living room.

 

“Princess, you have nothing to worry about. You know that I’m yours.”

 

She rolls her eyes, “ _ Mine _ ? That sounds so possessive and barbaric; I can’t relate.”

  
He shoots her an  _ are you serious  _ look, but she’s already off to the fridge looking for a bottle of water. This was going to take some time.


	6. But Only Couples Kiss Like That...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new student arrives. He may be just what Duncan needs to help Courtney understand their strange relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised here's a new character...

Duncan was in a great mood after last week. He now knows his feelings weren’t completely one sided, the only problem now is to get Courtney to admit she likes him too. He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to be able to pull that off. What happens after she agrees? Would they even be together? He wasn’t sure what the answers to those questions would be either.

 

Duncan was unusually quiet when they were walking into school that morning. Courtney asked him if he was okay, but he would smile and reassure her that everything was fine. She figured he must have a lot on his mind, though, she didn’t notice anything else that was off about him. Once they were in the hallways, she gives him a quick kiss and starts to go to her classroom. However, before she could get very far, she was called to the principal’s office. She quickly tries to think if she forgot a meeting or an event, but nothing came to mind. 

 

Once inside the office, Principal Walters excitedly introduces her to the new transfer student. Since she was the class president, it would be her responsibility to show him around. Courtney reaches out to shake the new student’s hand, but he kisses it instead. He was a charmer, but she couldn’t help but think it felt wrong. No one besides Duncan had ever kissed her— even if it was just her hand. Alejandro notices her discomfort and is intrigued; no one has ever been able to resist his charms. He was a gentleman, however, so he decides to back off. 

 

Together, the two of them go to his first class, which happens to English… a class that Courtney knew Duncan would be in. She points out a few things to him as they walk towards his class. He can tell she seems happy to be leading him.

 

“So, Courtney, tell me, why do you seem so happy to be taking me to my first class?”

 

“Am I? Hm… oh, well, I guess it’s because my best friend is in that class, so I’ll get to see him.”

 

“Him?”

 

She smiles as she thinks about him, “yes, his name is Duncan.”

 

They make it to the classroom and immediately, Alejandro can tell which one was Duncan; his eyes were drawn to Courtney the moment she walked through the door. If that didn’t give it away, the smiles on both their faces as they looked at each other did. Courtney goes to the front of the classroom to tell the teacher about the new student. Alejandro introduces himself to the class, and he gets the reaction he wants as he sees all the other students swoon. Courtney tells him she would meet him after class to show him the way since they would be in math together. He smiles at her, which she returns, but it’s not the same one she has for Duncan. 

 

As promised, Courtney arrives to take him to his next class, but before they can get very far, Duncan blocks their path. She rolls her eyes at him, but she’s not really angry.

 

“Move out of the way. We have to go to our next class. I don’t want to be late.”

 

“Hm… I’ll consider letting you go if you know the password.”

 

“Duncan.”

 

“That’s not it, Princess.”

 

“No.”

 

She knows what he wants, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction; besides, she had a job to do. She ends up grabbing Alejandro’s hand and pushes past Duncan to get to their next class. He can feel Duncan’s glare on the back of his head.

 

Courtney continues to take Alejandro to his classes until lunchtime. She asks if he wants to join her friends, which he agrees only because he was still curious. Already, he’s heard rumors about himself, but he’s also heard people whispering about Courtney and Duncan’s strange relationship. He figures they were a couple, but people were still talking about them as if they weren’t. The two of them get to the lunch table where she introduces him to Bridgette and Geoff, who were obviously dating, and Gwen and Duncan. She takes the empty seat next to Duncan and Alejandro sits down next to her. Immediately, Duncan puts his arm around her chair and glances at Alejandro, but Courtney was oblivious to the gesture.

 

Duncan kept trying to get Courtney’s attention during lunch, but she was too busy trying to make Alejandro feel welcomed. This, of course, made him angry as he continued to shoot daggers at Alejandro. He wondered why Courtney wasn’t paying attention to her boyfriend. Was it because of what happened this morning? Maybe this is why the other students always gossiped about them.

 

The bell rings, signaling that lunch has ended and the group splits up to go to their respected classrooms. Duncan was brooding, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Courtney. She grabs his arm and gives him a quick kiss before walking away with Alejandro. Instantly, his mood becomes better.

 

After lunch, Alejandro finds that he has a class with Gwen. It was creative writing and the two of them sit together. He couldn’t help himself when he asked about Courtney and Duncan.

 

“Oh, them? Don’t worry about it. They’ve been like this since they were four.”

 

“So they’re childhood friends that later became a couple?”

 

“Basically, but not that either of them would admit it.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They both insist that they’re ‘just friends’.”

 

“ _Just_ _friends_? Friends who _kiss_ each other?”

 

“Yep. Like I said though, they’ve been like this since they were young. Maybe one of these days, Duncan will grow a pair and finally ask her out.”

 

Suddenly, everything made sense. He knew exactly how Duncan felt. He too had this problem with his girlfriend back home. He decides, that he’ll help and nudge Courtney in the right direction.

 

The last class he has is study hall, which he shares with Courtney. She was busy putting up banners for prom that Alejandro decided to help out with. She was in the process of taping the giant pink poster up when he asked her about Duncan.

 

“So, Courtney… are you going to the prom with anyone?”

 

“Um… probably just with friends…?”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to hit on you. I have a girlfriend back home who I love very much.”

 

“Thank goodness. I mean, not that I wouldn’t be flattered, but it would just be complicated.”

 

“Complicated  _ how _ ?”

 

“Well, the last time I had a boyfriend, my friends didn’t take to it kindly and we drifted apart. It wasn’t worth it.”

 

“All of your friends?”

 

“Well, no. It was mostly Duncan. Which I understand since I’m not particularly fond of when he has a girlfriend.”

 

“Do you like him?”

 

“Of course I do! He’s my best friend!”

 

“Just as a friend?”

 

“What are you implying?”

 

“Nothing really, it’s just that I thought you two were a couple.”

 

“Why would you think that?”

 

“I think it’s a logical conclusion anyone would come to. You’re both excited to see each other, your eyes literally light up; he has a pet name for you; and you both get jealous when the other is dating. All of your other friends know that there’s something going on… Oh— and you two kiss a lot for people who ‘supposedly’ aren’t in a relationship.”

 

“He’s my friend, of course I’m excited to see him. He calls me princess to annoy me, and I am not jealous! They just like to tease us and friends  _ can _ kiss.”

 

“Do you kiss your other friends?”

 

Courtney opens her mouth to speak then quickly shuts it— No. She doesn’t.

 

“Face it, Courtney, you two are pretty much a couple.”

 

“No we’re not. We don’t even go out on dates.”

 

“Are you sure about that? What are you doing after school?”

 

“I was going to watch a movie with Duncan. He wants to see the new Slasher film even though he knows I’ll be scared and hold onto him the whole time.”

 

“That. That is definitely a date. He does it so that you two can be close and he has an excuse to hold onto you.”

 

“That’s ridiculous! That’s like saying all the other movies we go to are dates.”

 

“Okay, fine. Are you two alone when you hang out?”

 

“Yes, but we don’t have to be with our other friends.”

 

“Okay, and what do you two do?”

 

“Sometimes we’ll have dinner, he’s taken me to a couple of concerts, and I made him go to the amusement park with me. Sometimes we just hang out at my house, or his; nothing special.”

 

“You just named at least five different dates couples go on.”

 

“What? No I didn’t. These are all things that friends do.”

 

“Do you two kiss during your dates?”

 

She doesn’t answer him, and he knew that he got to her. She was beginning to doubt everything. Was she really in a more than platonic relationship with Duncan?  _ No way. _ They were just friends,  _ right _ ?

 

The bell rings, signaling the end of school and Duncan was approaching them with a smile on his face. Alejandro bids them a goodbye as he walks away, knowing his work was done.

 

“Ready to go home, Princess? The movie doesn’t start till seven.”

 

“Huh? Oh yeah.”

 

The two of them walk over to her locker before starting the commute to her house. They were silent, which wasn’t unusual. It wasn’t until they were in her bedroom that she finally turns to face him. They were both laying on her bed as she tried to read her book and he was playing with her hair, both trying not to fall asleep. Suddenly, Courtney sits up which prompts Duncan to do so as well. 

 

“Duncan…?”

 

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

 

“Are we… are we a couple?”

 

He was completely taken aback by her question. She has a confused look on her face, and he doesn’t know how to answer. His first instinct is to say yes, but he was afraid of her reaction. His silence was not helping the situation. She was looking into his blues eyes with uncertainty. 

 

“... do you want us to be?”

 

“I… I don’t know!”

 

She throws her hands up, frustrated. She never in a million years would have thought she would have to question her relationship with Duncan. She always thought they were just friends. Did she want to be something more? She wasn’t sure. He pulls her close and calms her down.

 

“Hey, it’s okay. We don’t have to know… we can just be us.”

 

“But what are  _ we _ ? We do  _ couple _ things, but we’re  _ not _ a couple… why is that?”

 

Her brown eyes were looking up at him. He knows this wasn’t easy for her. Hell, it wasn’t easy for him either; he doesn’t want to ruin what they have because it’s perfect the way it is. They don’t have to have a title, just as long as they were together, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

 

“We don’t have to be a couple if you don’t want, Courtney. We’re friends first, remember? Don’t worry about what other people think. All I care about is what you think.”

 

He places a soft kiss on her forehead and smiles. She smiles back. For now, this would do. She still wasn’t sure of her feelings, but she knew that no matter what, they would still be friends. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go. Sorry, it's been rough. I'm still here tho (:


	7. Kisses Mean I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title says it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm always late here's the last chapter.

They go to see the movie and Courtney hides in Duncan’s embrace the whole time. He doesn’t mind it though; he loves it, he loves her.

She hates him for making her go, but she really doesn’t; she loves him too— she just doesn’t realize in what way... Yet.

They’re holding hands as they walk back home. It was a nice night out: millions of stars light up the sky, and she smiles as she looks up trying to count them all. He smiles too, as he looks at her in wonder. Neither of them are paying much attention to the sidewalk they’re on, let alone the branch that would soon be in their way… Courtney ends up tripping, bringing Duncan down with her.

“Ouch!”

“Are you alright, Princess?”

“Yeah, I think so. How did that branch get there?”

“You got a scrape on your knee.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have worn shorts!”

“It doesn’t look too bad, you’ll be fine.”

She wasn’t in pain. It was only a minor injury, but the way Duncan was fussing over her injury was sweet. He even leans down and kisses her wound. She feels her heart beat faster as he looks up at her.

“There… All better.”

She doesn’t know why she feels shy all of a sudden. She just knows that she never wants him to stop looking at her like that. He helps her up and offers to carry her home, but she tells him she’s okay. Though she does feel weak in the knees— and it’s not from the fall. They continue walking home, and when they pass by the candy store, they see a little girl happily skipping about with chocolate all over her face. 

“Hey, Princess, do you ever think we’ll be like that?”

He’s pointing towards the happy family with the sugar-high child; they’re all laughing and enjoying each other’s company. She smiles as she pictures a young girl like she once was, with pigtails and a pink dress running around the store. Courtney looks over at Duncan, but he’s not looking at her. He’s looking at the happy family in the shop. She looks at his light blue eyes— eyes that she’s seen everyday for as long as she remembers. She knows that she wants her child to have his eyes because she loves his eyes. Although, as soon as the thought pops into her head she panics. Why would her child have Duncan’s eyes? He chooses then to look over at her and she can see just how bright they are. Her heart starts to beat fast again.

They decided to stop at the park before going home. It was getting late, but they didn’t care. Something was different tonight, neither of them seemed to want it to end. He never did, and now she was feeling it too. They were just sitting on the park bench, not really doing anything. He doesn’t know what she’s thinking, but he knows how he feels. He couldn’t control himself when he leaned over and kisses her cheek, getting her attention. She blushes as she turns to face him.

“What was that for?”

“I don’t know. I just felt like it.”

She smiles because it was so unlike him to say something like that, but then again, it felt right to hear him say that… That’s when it hits her. All the handholding, the teasing, the jealousy, the longing looks, and the kisses— all of it. All this time they were already acting as if they belonged together; as if they were a couple. It was all because they were always meant to be. She should be scared, but somehow fear wasn’t what she was feeling— no, all she felt was love.

She loves him, and she has to tell him. She opens her mouth to speak, but he beats her to it.

“Court, I think I love you.”

Even though he says he thinks, he knows. He says it so casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe it wasn’t for him. He’s always known he loves her, but now she knows too. She needs to say it back, but somehow the words don’t come out. She does the next best thing; the way they’ve been saying I love you all those years. She pulls him close and she kisses him, a kiss that holds intensity, passion, and love. He kisses her back, and he doesn’t have to hear her say it to know that she loves him. He feels it every time they kiss. 

Each time they pull apart, they end up kissing again to make up for lost time— to finally say “I love you”, “I want to be with you”, “It’s you and me forever”, “There’s no one else for me…”, “I love you”.

Their lips are swollen and their hearts are full. She pulls back and looks at him. Who would’ve known she would fall in love with her best friend? She couldn’t be more thrilled.

“I love you too, Duncan.”

She didn’t need to say it, but it felt good to let it out, even if he already knows.

“Hm… I don’t think I got that, Princess. Say it again.”

So she tells him again. I *kiss* love *kiss* you *kiss*.

Because he’s a shithead, he asks her again and again. And because she loves him, she’s happy to oblige and show him how much she loves him… Again and again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for following this story (:

**Author's Note:**

> This should've been posted long ago... is it too late to apologize (;


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